Exodus 4 ~ Exodus 4

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1 A nd Moses answered and said, But behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, Jehovah has not appeared to thee.

And Moses answered, But behold, they will not believe me or listen to and obey my voice; for they will say, The Lord has not appeared to you.

2 A nd Jehovah said to him, What is that in thy hand? And he said, A staff.

And the Lord said to him, What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod.

3 A nd he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

And He said, Cast it on the ground. And he did so and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

4 A nd Jehovah said to Moses, Stretch out thy hand and take it by the tail—and he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand—

And the Lord said to Moses, Put forth your hand and take it by the tail. And he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand,

5 t hat they may believe that Jehovah, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.

that the elders may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has indeed appeared to you.

6 A nd Jehovah said moreover to him, Put now thy hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom, and took it out, and behold, his hand was leprous, as snow.

The Lord said also to him, Put your hand into your bosom. He put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.

7 A nd he said, Put thy hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again, and took it out of his bosom, and behold, it was turned again as his flesh.

said, Put your hand into your bosom again. So he put his hand back into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored as the rest of his flesh.

8 A nd it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the other sign.

If they will not believe you or heed the voice or the testimony of the first sign, they may believe the voice or the witness of the second sign.

9 A nd it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also those two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour on the dry; and the water that thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry.

But if they will also not believe these two signs or heed your voice, you shall take some water of the river and pour it upon the dry land; and the water which you take out of the river shall become blood on the dry land.

10 A nd Moses said to Jehovah, Ah Lord! I am not eloquent, neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken to thy servant, for I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue.

And Moses said to the Lord, O Lord, I am not eloquent or a man of words, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and have a heavy and awkward tongue.

11 A nd Jehovah said to him, Who gave man a mouth? or who maketh dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? not I, Jehovah?

And the Lord said to him, Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Is it not I, the Lord?

12 A nd now go, and I will be with thy mouth, and will teach thee what thou shalt say.

Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you shall say.

13 A nd he said, Ah Lord! send, I pray thee, by the hand thou wilt send.

And he said, Oh, my Lord, I pray You, send by the hand of whom You will.

14 T hen the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also behold, he goeth out to meet thee; and when he seeth thee he will be glad in his heart.

Then the anger of the Lord blazed against Moses; He said, Is there not Aaron your brother, the Levite? I know he can speak well. Also, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be overjoyed.

15 A nd thou shalt speak unto him, and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.

You must speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you what you shall do.

16 A nd he shall speak for thee unto the people; and it shall come to pass that he shall be to thee for a mouth, and thou shalt be to him for God.

He shall speak for you to the people, acting as a mouthpiece for you, and you shall be as God to him.

17 A nd thou shalt take this staff in thy hand, with which thou shalt do the signs.

And you shall take this rod in your hand with which you shall work the signs.

18 A nd Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, that I may see whether they are yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

And Moses went away and, returning to Jethro his father-in-law, said to him, Let me go back, I pray you, to my relatives in Egypt to see whether they are still alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

19 A nd Jehovah said to Moses in Midian, Go, return to Egypt; for all the men are dead who sought thy life.

The Lord said to Moses in Midian, Go back to Egypt; for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.

20 A nd Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them riding upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

And Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on donkeys, and he returned to the land of Egypt; and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

21 A nd Jehovah said to Moses, When thou goest to return to Egypt, see that thou do all the wonders before Pharaoh that I have put in thy hand. And I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

And the Lord said to Moses, When you return into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all those miracles and wonders which I have put in your hand; but I will make him stubborn and harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.

22 A nd thou shalt say to Pharaoh, Thus saith Jehovah: Israel is my son, my firstborn.

And you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, Israel is My son, even My firstborn.

23 A nd I say to thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me. And if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill thy son, thy firstborn.

And I say to you, Let My son go, that he may serve Me; and if you refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay your son, your firstborn.

24 A nd it came to pass on the way, in the inn, that Jehovah came upon him, and sought to slay him.

Along the way at a place, the Lord met and sought to kill him.

25 T hen Zipporah took a stone and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, A bloody husband indeed art thou to me!

'> failed to circumcise one of his sons, his wife being opposed to it; but seeing his life in such danger] Zipporah took a flint knife and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it to touch feet, and said, Surely a husband of blood you are to me!

26 A nd he let him go. Then she said, A bloody husband—because of the circumcision.

When He let alone, Zipporah said, A husband of blood are you because of the circumcision.

27 A nd Jehovah said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him on the mountain of God, and kissed him.

The Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mountain of God and kissed him.

28 A nd Moses told Aaron all the words of Jehovah who had sent him, and all the signs that he had commanded him.

Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which He had sent him, and all the signs with which He had charged him.

29 A nd Moses and Aaron went and gathered all the elders of the children of Israel;

Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the Israelites.

30 a nd Aaron spoke all the words that Jehovah had spoken to Moses, and did the signs before the eyes of the people.

Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.

31 A nd the people believed. And when they heard that Jehovah had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the Israelites, and that He had looked upon their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.